Tuberculosis Vaccine To Fight Covid-19, Texas A&M University Begins Human Trial

Texas A&M University has got approval from the US Food and Drug Administration to begin human testing for Bacillus Calmette-Guerin (BCG), a widely-used vaccine for tuberculosis and bladder cancer.

The trial of the vaccine is about to start in a week. Initially, it will have 1,800 healthcare volunteers who will participate in the nationwide test of the vaccine’s application on coronavirus.

The researchers believe that the vaccine could boost the immune system and help mitigate the effects of coronavirus until a specific COVID-19 vaccine is developed.

“This could make a huge difference in the next two to three years. BCG is not meant to cure coronavirus but bridge the gap until a vaccine is developed, thus allowing us to buy time until something can be developed,” a Regent’s Professor of Microbial Pathogenesis and Immunology at the Texas A&M Health Science Center, Dr Jeffrey D Cirillo was quoted as saying by India Today.

Though the vaccine is not going to prevent people from getting infected from the coronavirus, it could blunt the long-term effects of coronavirus, that damages the nervous system of the infected patients and also likely to cause dementia, Alzheimer’s or Parkinson ‘s disease, Dr Cirillo added.

Besides this, countries where the BCG vaccine is used, have less mortality rate due to coronavirus.